2. καὶ ἰσχύοντα] An addition of the not. LXX.: omitted by ℵ*, doubtful in Q. γίγας=ABBREVe.g. xiii. 2, Gen. x. 8–10.

στοχαστὴν] Heb. ‘diviner.’ The more usual representatives of this Heb. word and those connected with it (root ABBREVare μάντις, μαντεῖον, θc., &c., Num. xxii. 7, Deut. xviii. 10, Micah iii. 11, Ezek. xiii. 7, xxi. 21 (which perhaps describes one of the principal methods), Zech. x. 2. In Greek στοχάζομαι, στοχασμός, θc. &c. seem to more than ‘aiming’ and so ‘guessing’; but Josephus, Bell. fad. IV. iv. 6, has the phrase στοχαστὴς τῶν μελλόντων.

3. θαυμαστὸν σύμβουλον] Cf. ix. 6 A. Heb. is not identical.

θαυμαστὸν] Heb. is literally ‘high’ or ’exalted of face.’ expression occurs again ix. 15, where Lxx. have taken it as active, τοὺς τὰ πρόσωπα θαυμάζοντας, in the sense ‘accepters of persons, which the phrase in the active commonly bears (Levit. xix. 15, Job xiii. 8, 10, &c.). The verbal noun in ver. 9 (cf. Deut. i. 17, &c.) different, but seems sometimes to convey very similar force. Its original meaning is probably to look, regard, observe: cf. Matt. xxii. 16, οὐ γὰρ βλέπεις εἷς πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπων.

ἀρχιτέκτονα] So Vulg. sapientem de architectis; very likely right, though some explain it, like the following phrase, of witchcraft; Hexenmeister, Ewald. The judgment did fall especially upon the craftsmen in Jehoiachin's time, 2 Kings xxiv. 14, 16, Jerem. xxiv. 1.